The findings of University College London's thorough inquiry into the Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab affair were presented in a clear, insightful report. Disappointed at the outcome, Nick Cohen chose to attack me personally ("How to whitewash a bomber from your past", Comment).

Through the usual tactic of guilt by tenuous association, Nick Cohen brands me, in all but name, an extremist, a label I utterly reject. I abhor extremism of any kind and continue to work tirelessly to bring communities together.

Cohen labours hard to smear the East London Mosque, where I am currently the chairman. In his latest diatribe, he wrongly claims the mosque is dominated by Jamaat-e-Islami. I hold no brief for Jamaat-e-Islami. The East London Mosque is run by British Muslims of diverse backgrounds, with deep roots in the community, who expend time and energy to make it an institution that is welcoming to all faiths and none.

Cohen fails to mention that the "Saudi preacher" he refers to is Sheikh as-Sudais, a leading imam at Islam's holiest sanctuary in Makkah. The remarks attributed to him have never been uttered at the East London Mosque and I have no hesitation in dissociating myself and our mosque from such views.

Extremism and bigotry of any kind are to be confronted. Nick Cohen would do well to reflect on his own divisive rhetoric.

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari

Chairman, East London Mosque

London E1

Nick Cohen, in his latest denunciation of perfidious liberals, refers to "Amnesty International's latest pin-up, Moazzam Begg". I'm a member of Amnesty and I don't have any pin-ups of Mr Begg. Does Cohen never reflect that people are less likely to read him when he peppers his column with silly insults?

Mike Morris

Oxford

Nick Cohen identifies fear as a reason why academe won't confront campus Islamism. I believe that this is largely true, but it's not fear of violence. It's a fear of something much more powerful: of confronting a lifetime of intellectual folly.

Twenty years ago, many academics were forced to recognise that a socialist society was a chimera. Now, they're being forced to acknowledge that anti-imperialist solidarity, in many instances, means solidarity with a genus of rightwing nutters.

Michael Mageean

Dublin

Many people in this country share Philippe Sands's negative view of Tony Blair's invasion of Iraq: the only thing that prevents Mr Blair from being liable for arrest in this country is, so far as I understand, our failure to ratify the relevant international ruling against the waging of aggressive war. Many other western countries do not share that failure, which is why he is careful where and how he travels.

Nick Cohen appears intent on labelling anyone who does not share his own distorted world view as "anti-liberal"; he thus seems to answer that description admirably. I have long wondered why a liberal paper such as the Observer tolerates his continued presence on its pages. I presume it is precisely because of its liberal values, which I salute.

David Richardson

Westcliff-on-Sea

Essex

Nick Cohen's muscular liberalism hinders rather than helps Islam's modernisers. He should temper his self-righteousness and instead acknowledge the baleful consequences of our imperial intrusions into Islam's world. The partition of Palestine was a mistake of colossal proportions. He should be urging the west to tell the Israelis that the burden of making concessions lies with them, rather than the Palestinians.

Islam's modernisers have another cross to bear, namely our military presence in their part of the world. He should join with me, a small-c conservative, in calling for our withdrawal.